Experimental Study on Influence of Stress Levels on Compressive Deformation Performances of Concrete Exposed to Ultralow Temperatures

Through experiments of the concrete with different initial preloading stress levels (IPSLS) that experienced different low temperatures (-40 ℃, -80 ℃, -120 ℃ and -160 ℃), the effect of IPSL on the compressive deformation performances of concrete exposed to ultralow temperatures was discussed. The test results showed that the compressive deformation of concrete with different IPSL increased continually with the decrease in temperature during each temperature ranged from room temperature to given ultralow temperature. Similarly, the compressive deformations of concrete at the cooling target point and the temperature uniformity target point showed an increase trend with the decrease in temperature for these temperature ranges. But there existed difference among the changing rates of the compressive deformation for concrete with different IPSL. The compressive deformations of concrete with lower and higher IPSL were larger than that of concrete with a medium IPSL from beginning to end. The results could provide reference to the design and safety evaluation of prestressed concrete structures as LNG storage tanks.